Facts about forced marriage in Britain
LONDON (TrustLaw) - Parents who force their children to marry against their will could be jailed under a new law proposed by the British government in June.
Here are some facts about forced marriage in Britain:
* At least 8,000 girls and women are forced into marriage or threatened with forced marriage each year, according to government estimates. Experts believe the real figure could be much higher because cases are not always brought to the authorities' attention.
* Forced marriage is most common among Britain's Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian communities. It also is practiced by Middle Eastern, North African and Eastern European groups as well as among some Christians.
* The majority of known cases are girls but some 15 percent of victims are male, according to government data. Adults with physical and learning disabilities, who cannot give their consent, are also affected.
* The new law, which covers England and Wales, will distinguish between forced marriages, where there is no consent, and arranged marriages where both parties have consented to the union but can still refuse to marry if they choose to.
* Campaigners fear the plan could deter victims from coming forward because they may not want their families to have a criminal record. Some say that criminal law already provides punishment for offences that may be committed when coercing someone into matrimony, such as kidnap and false imprisonment.
* The government has a Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) to provide advice and support related to those who have been forced into a marriage, those at risk of being forced to marry, people worried about friends or relatives, professionals with actual or potential victims. In 2011, the FMU gave advice or support in 1,468 instances related to a possible forced marriage. The FMU also works with embassies abroad to rescue victims.
* The government has announced a £500,000 fund to help schools and other agencies spot early signs of a forced marriage.
* Under the Forced Marriage Act of 2007 prosecutors can already issue protection orders, aimed at preventing such marriages and protecting victims. This is an order in a civil court and breach is punishable with a two-year jail sentence for contempt of court.
* Scottish courts also have the power to issue protection orders to those at risk, which if breached could carry a two-year prison sentence.
SOURCES: Forced Marriage Unit, Karma Nirvana)
(Reporting by Astrid Zweynert, editing by Lisa Anderson)
This factbox is part of a Thomson Reuters Foundation special report on forced marriage
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
